The Laughable State Of US-Russian Diplomacy In One Photo

On Saturday, right before a U.N. Security Council vote to
declare Sunday's referendum in Crimea invalid,American ambassador to the U.N.
Samantha Power went over to speak withRussian ambassador to the U.N.
Vitaly Churkin.

As you can see, Power is
slightly animated while Churkin is straight-faced. Two members of
Churkin's staff,
standing behind the ambassadors, are chuckling.

Russia subsequently vetoed the
draft resolution. Now armed men, presumably Russian soldiers,
control the strategic Black Sea peninsula while the referendum is
being carried out.

"U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power says
the resolution was aimed at finding a peaceful solution and
upholding U.N. principles on the sovereignty of its member
states.

"Russia's ambassador says the people of Crimea should be able
to determine their own future because, he says, a coup in
Kiev left a power vacuum. Ambassador Power says Russia's
position is at odds with international and Ukrainian law, and
with the facts."

The Kremlin has made a habit of
vetoing UNSC resolutions, particularly those with regards to the
ongoing war in Syria. With regards to both Syria and Crimea, U.S.
diplomats have pushed for political solutions while Russia has
largely stifled them.

Here's what geopolitical
expertIan
Bremmerof the Eurasia Group had to say about the
picture: